Sifter trawl



July l2, 1932. Q RUNKLE 1,867,281

SIFTER TRAWL Filed Aug. 14. 1931 un QMwf 2Q NQNQQNNNW M O QONQQ f OQ Ow 26 O OO 0 1 Q0 Q Q' Patented July 12, 1932 unirse stares FATENT @FFHCE LLOYD O. RUNKLE, OF GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LINEN THREAD COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATON OF NEW JERSEY sIrTER TRAWL Application4 flied August 1a,- 1931. serial No. 557,170.

This invention relates to trawl hshing nets, and more particularly to improvements in the rear end or holding bag thereof.

A great deal of shing is done with trawl nets which are made either of manila or cotton twine, these nets being generally of graduated mesh from the wings to the rear or cod end, with very small mesh in the cod end. Under ordinary conditions these nets will catch undesirable small fish, and will pick up all movable objects that come within the sweep of the nets and will retain and hol-d sam-e, especially if these objects finally reach the body of the trawl.

As a result there is brought to the surface and dumped on board the fishing vessel, many fishl and other objects that have no market value, but which must be sorted over and disposed of before marketable fish of suitable size can be identified and prepared for storage. In sorting over the fish, aforli is used and considerable time is. occupied during such sorting, with the result that most of the small fish are dead when thrown hack into the water or would die because of being pierced by the sorting forl.

Accordingly one object of the present invention is the construction of a trawl which will permit the escape of these small objects and undersized fish, many of which may be of market variety, but too small for sale.

Another object is to minimize the time necessary in sorting over a catch by confining the catch, so far as possible, to marketable fish. Still another object resides in a construction of net in which the mesh is large and practically uniform throughout its Aentire length thereby reducing` resistance to water as the trawl is dragged.

Further objects contemplate a construction, by means of which the net at the cod end is held in an open or distended position, regardless of the size of the mesh, and the provision of means to hold the mesh itself in distended position.

To the attainment of the above and other objects which will appear as the description proceeds, reference may be made to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the trawl in operative position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the cod end of the net; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the cod end. f

Referring more yspecifically to the drawing, in which like reference numerals designate like 'parts it will be observed from Fig. 1 thatthe trawl net comprises a body 10 of relatively large size, uniform mesh, having wings 12, head rope 14, ground rope 16, and tow rope 18.` The body is reduced at the rear to form a cod end or holding Vbody 20 which is closed at its rear end by means of a puckering string 22.v The mesh of the cod end is of uniform size throughout, and is of a size substantially uniform with the mesh of the body, although not necessarily the same size, as Vdistinguished from known types of net in which the mesh is graduated from large size at the forward end, near the head rope, to ne mesh in the cod end. There is a tendency in theuse of these nets for the walls of the cod end to come together and the mesh thereof to draw up, and to prevent this, ribs or stringers 24 of rope or suitable material are located along the length of the cod end, these ribs being seized to each mesh as indicated at 26. The ribs 24 may be extended into the body of the net 10 and secured by strandingthe ends and hitching them crowfoot fashion, as indicated at 28.

A feature of the present structure resides in the iieXible band 30 of line mesh net between the body of the trawl and the cod end, preferably extending about the mesh of the net, and serving to hold the mouth of the cod end open and to evenly distribute any strains between the cod end and the body. In effect, this band forms a mouth for the cod end. The eXtreme rear end of the net is finished in loops of relatively heavy material 32 for the reception of the puckering string 22. The ribs 24 may be suitably spliced to form loops Y34 for the same purpose.

From the foregoing description the operation of the device will be readily apparent, the net being rigged with tow ropes, head rope, and ground rope for use in a conventional manner. The mesh in the cod end will be held open by means of the ribs or stringers extending from the body through the bandv of fine mesh to the end of the trawl, which end in actual working is tied up with the puclering st-ring, the flexible band of fine mesh holding the mouth of the cod end open. Due to the fact that the mesh is relatively large throughout, and is held open, the escape of any fish or other objects Vsmall enough to go through will be facilitated.

The band of fine mesh may be used for the attachment of any chafing gear deemed desirable and also furnishes a suitable place to attach the sling when hoisting the catch on board the vvessel as to this band of fine mesh netting are attached the ribs which run the vfulllength of the cod end, and carry the weight of the contents of the cod end.

Advantages in this structure reside in the conservation of fish, through escape without .injury of small market varieties through the large mesh; in siftingV out andv eliminating small trash that would otherwise be brought to the surface withV marketable fish and in thereby decreasing the time required in sorting market fish. from unmarletable matter, as well as reducing the weight of the catch to be handled, with attendant reduction in labor. Theuse of lineniesh netting extending around the mouth or opening of the cod end, and ribs throughout the length of the cod end serve tofhold both the mouth and body of the cod end fully distended, thus assisting entry of the catch thereinto, as well as furnishing means to attach chaffing gear,

slings, etc., to the net and also reinforcing this end of the net. This trawl as a whole offers less resistance to towing due to its large mesh which permits unobstructed flow .of water through the net, resulting in a corresponding saving in power.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is r 1. A trawl net comprising a body of mesh,

yand a c'od end of mesh, forming a continuation of said body, the size of the mesh in the cod end being substantially uniform with that Vin the body. Y

-and a cod end of mesh, forming a continuation of said body, the size of the mesh in the cod end being substantially uniform with that Y in the body, said net having applied a band vof relatively finer mesh located between said body and said cod end.

4. A trawl net comprising a body of mesh and a cod end of mesh, the size of the mesh in the cod end being substantially uniform with that in the body, said cod end having ribs or stringers extending throughout its length and seized to the mesh thereof, said net having a band of relatively liner mesh located between said body and said cod end.

5. A trawl net comprising a body and a cod end formed of mesh, said cod end having ribs or stringers extending throughout its lengt-h and seized to the mesh thereof.

6. A trawl net comprising a body and a cod end of mesh, forming a continuation of said body, said net having applied thereto a band of relatively finer mesh located between said body and said cod end.

7. A trawl net having a reduced rear end of relatively coarse uniform mesh, a band of liner mesh extending about the net and spaced from the extreme end of the net and ribs extending from'said extreme end lengthwise of the net through said band of ner mesh, and seized thereto. n Y

8. A trawl net comprising a body of mesh and a cod end of mesh, forming a continuation of said body, the size of the meshes in the cod end being uniform throughout, and substantially with that in the body, means to maintain the mouth of said cod end in distended position, and means to close the-y rear of said cod end.

9. A trawl net comprising a body of mesh and a cod end of mesh, forming a continuation of said body, the size of the meshes in the cod end being uniform throughout, and substantially uniform with that in the body, means to maintain the mesh of said cod end in distended position, and means to close the rear of said codend.

10. Atrawl net comprising a body of mesh and a cod end of mesh, forming a continuation of said body, the size of the mesh in the cod end being uniform throughout, and substantially uniform with that in the body,

`means to maintain the mouth of said cod end in distended position,Y and means .to maintain the mesh of said cod end in distended position. e

11. A trawl net having a body and a cod end, said cod end being constructed to facilitate escape ofsmall objects therefrom and having a reinforcement effective to maintain said end in constantly distended position, said reinforcement being seized to the mesh of the net and unitary with said end.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LLOYD O. RUNKLE.

CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,867,281. July 12, .1932.

LLOYD 0. RUNKLE.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 6l, after "applied" insert the word thereto, line 78, claim 6, after "thereto" insert a comma, and lines 91 and 92, claim 8, after the word "substantially" insert the word uniform; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of September, A. D. 1932.

M. J. Moore, (al) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

DISCLAIMER- 1,867,281.-Ll0yd 0. Rnnkle, Gloucester, Mass. SIFTER TRAWL. Patent dated July 12, 1932. Disclaimer liled May 14, 1935, by the assignee, The Linen Thread Company. Hereby enters this disclaimer of claims numbered 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 11, as said claims appear in the original Letters Patent herein above referred to.

[Oficial Gazette June 4, 1935.] 

